Is Beachbody A Pyramid Scheme, (Or A Cult)?

​Last Updated March 2, 2019

​We’ve all seen it…​…those annoying Beachbody coach social media posts that never seem to end. Whether its on Facebook, Instagram, or even Twitter, you’ve probably seen one of your “friends” start posting a bunch of weird selfies with healthy food, Shakeology, or even while they’re working out.

In this article I’ll examine what these people are doing, whether Beachbody is truly a pyramid scheme, and even whether it can be considered a cult.

Note: In the interest of full-disclosure, I have used many of their exercise programs and am also a Beachbody coach, however, I have no interest in promoting their products. I am a coach to take advantage of the discounts on their products and at the same time I can provide candid information to you.

What Happened To All Those Infomercials?

A couple years ago, I would see infomercials all the time for Beachbody products like P90X, Insanity, 10 Minute Trainer, and others. However, now I rarely see these infomericals. I know they still promote their products with infomercials, but its nowhere near as frequent as it was back in 2010-2014.

I can only speculate this is because they have shifted their marketing focus from paid advertising to paying Beachbody coaches for “free” advertising. Let me explain…

Somewhere around 2010-2012, Beachbody changed their business model from a more traditional advertising platform where they would promote using infomercials, to using clients like you and me to promote their products. They became a MLM or multi-level marketing company that uses “distributors”, “consultants”, or “independent business owners” to essentially advertise their business. And this was a smart idea.​

​ The Original P90X Infomercial

As more and more people used P90X, Insanity, and other revolutionary home fitness workouts, word of mouth spread that these programs are very, very effective. Friends and co-workers would see the changes in people first-hand and start asking them what they did to lose weight, get in shape, and change their life. And this, I speculate, was the beginning of Beachbody’s MLM revelation. They realized that since people are having such success with their products and naturally promoting their products without even trying, they might as well alter their business into a MLM-based model.​

The Pyramid Structure WorksWhen we talk about pyramid schemes in the context of making money from home or as an independent consultant, we immediately poke fun or discredit these companies because we think they’re taking advantage of people and offer false hope. The truth is, there are many “pyramid scheme” based companies that are completely legitimate and provide their distributors with real income and a real business, including Beachbody.

Some notable MLM, or network marketing companies include…​

Mary Kay Cosmetics

Amway

Pampered Chef

Advocare

Herbalife

Avon

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​​These are some of the most successful companies in the world, and simply because they rely on the ambitions of independent distributors does not make them part of a scheme. The basic structure of these organizations is the cliché pyramid where you sign up, then have someone else sign up below you, then they sign someone up below them, all the while promoting products and continuing to sign people up. ​However, this structure works. Where we become cynical is when we hear about a MLM company that failed, or you get approached by a friend or family member asking you to join their group. ​

It’s Not The Product Or Company That Stinks, It’s How People Sell The Company That StinksIf you’ve done a Beachbody workout, or even saw one of their informercials, you know they’re effective. However, what leads us to believe it’s a fraudulent pyramid scheme or cult is how the independent distributors, or Beachbody coaches get their message out.

Traditional network marketing companies, including Beachbody, always tell their distributors to sell to friends and family. They encourage members talking up the company and its products to those closest to us, when in fact these are the last people we want to alienate.

With the growth of social media, these companies, and especially Beachbody, have taken that concept of selling to friends and family to a whole new level. Instead of physically talking to us, they now post selfies, or motivational quotes, or any kind of seemingly healthy behavior in our newsfeeds until we can‘t take it anymore. Eventually we have no choice but to defriend them from our social feeds and label them crazy, weird, or part of the Beachbody cult.

Beachbody Is Not A Scheme Nor A Cult, But…

Here’s the deal…

…Beachbody is not a pyramid scheme, nor are its coaches part of a cult. My social media feeds have been just as annoying as yours, but the problem isn’t the company. The problem is how they encourage their members to promote the company.

In my years online writing and promoting websites, I’ve learned a little about how the world of internet marketing works, and what Beachbody coaches should be doing. Rather than post annoying messages to their friends and family, they need to post these messages to people that are actually interested in learning more about these products.

​Here’s a quick list of what they should be doing, rather than bothering us…

Using Facebook ads to target people who are interested in losing weight

Instagram ads

Twitter ads

Writing and promoting their own weight loss/Beachbody website or blog​

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​Until Beachbody coaches realize this and start using these methods to find the right audience who want to learn about their awkward selfies, we’ll be left defriending and ignoring their social media presence.